Fielb-mentce



IUNITED STATES j PATENT oEEIoE.

BENEDIGT eARruEL,l or ELMIRA, NEw YORK.

Emma-FENCE.

f specification of Letters Patent No. 19,99o,'datedApri1 2o, 1858.

To all-whom 'it ma/y concern."

Be it known that I, BENEDICT GABRIEL, of Elmira, in the county ofChemung and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode ofConstructing Portable Field-Fences; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact ydescription thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, Figure1 being a crosssection rof the fence close to the side ofone of thevposts; Fig. 2, a side elevation of a portion of the fence, showing oneof the posts and a portion of two sections of rails connected therewith.Y

Like letters designate corresponding parts in .both figures. l

The` special objects of my invention are, to produce a fence which maybe `made wholly of one kind of stuft', as ordinary inch boards,economically; and one which is readily made, transported and set up; andwhich shall be strong and durable.

To form the posts, I vtake a rectangular' piece of board, (say an inchin thickness,) of the desired length, and 0f sufficient width; anddivide it into halves diagonally, bringing one end of each half nearlytol a point. The narrow ends of the halvesare then put together, and theoriginal outer edges,in Contact, thus forming a symmetrical post with abroad base, as shownl in Fig. 1. Notches 0;, a, are made in the adjacentedges, opposite to each other, at proper intervals, as shown, for thereception ofthe rails C, C. A portion j", of t-he lower end of eachpost. half, is to be driven into the ground; and for that purpose, it ispointed, as represented in Fig. l, the kerf being principally orwhollyon the inner edge. And the height to which the inner kerf extends isnearly to the upper edge of a step, orsill, B, with which each post isprovided, as necessary to its complete construction. This step isconstructed, and connected with the post, in the following manner :kTwolrectangular pieces of board B, B, long enough to furnish a lsuiiicientlybroad base for the fence, and say 3 or 4 inches in width, are placedside by side, and nailed strongly to two small blocks, or pieces ofboard, b, Z7',

d, d, are cut inthe outer edges of the postceive the rails C, C; `thenby placing the points f, f, upon the ground in the right position, anddriving the post downward into the ground until the step rests upon t-hesurface thereof, l the wedging action of the points f, f,against theearth, will tend to separate said points, with `considerable force, andconsequently will firmly. close the upper parts ofthe post halves, andthus closely bind and vhold the rails C, C. In planting the posts andinserting the rails, a

convenient and properv order to be observed will be, to first slightlyinsertl the points f, f, the halvesbeing somewhat separated above thestep; then insert the lower rails C, C, into their notches; then drivethe post downward a little farther; and thus continue insertingl therails in the upward order of their lpositions and securing themsuccessivelyby driving down the post, till all are held in place, andthe post is ldriven entirely home. If the points j", f, aresuii'lciently long, and the ground' has consider'- able tenacity,nothing further need be added, to make the fence firm and secure. But torender the fence more firm and secure, short stakes, or pins, withprojecting heads, may be driven ldown into the ground, between the endsB, B, ofthe steps, which may project beyond the blocks b, 9,suiiiciently to furnish notches 9,9, for the purpose. Or, if preferred,'awooden clamp,- or yoke. D, may be driven down over the upper end of thepost, as represented.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Constructing the post halves A, A, with vpoints f, f, having their inneredges wedging so as to force said points farther apart in the act ofdriving the post into the ground', arranged in combination with the stepB B, substantially in the manner and for the purposeherein specified.

BENEDICT GABRIEL.

Witnesses J. FRASER,

S. J. ALLIS.

